Scottish Government
Toxic Tories kept in the attic
Ruth Davidson and her 30 MSPs are smiling. But the Tories are not yet secure as the main opposition party. Having fought off the LibDems for third place in the early years of devolution, they…
Forget identity politics but #Indyref2 is coming
The “Ulsterisation” of Scottish politics is overblown. Identity politics may matter but leadership and competence matter a lot more. That’s why the SNP and Tories are Holyrood’s big beasts – and Labour lost its way…
Why did farmers swing back to the Tories?
Six out of eight of the SNP’s losses at the May 5 Holyrood election came from Scotland’s rural regions. Stuart MacLennan digs into fertile ground and explains why Scotland’s farming communities sought to – and…
New Education Minister: raising standards
Her choice of Education Minister will be a defining element of Nicola Sturgeon’s likely cabinet reshuffle and of her first full five-year term as First Minister. The agenda could not be tougher or more complex…
Scientists at the top – but not on tap
Five Scottish-based scientists have just been elected Fellow of the Royal Society. But, in Scotland, the Scottish Government appears to have downgraded the post of chief scientific officer – vacant for almost 18 months. In…
Holyrood 2016: class and constitutional politics
The 2016 Scottish election was meant to be a foregone conclusion. Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP was expected to achieve another majority in a repeat of 2011, but it hasn’t happened.
Has Scottish politics really changed?
The results are in and, in the second part of our podcast (recorded beforehand), our experts look forward to the next five years with suitably sceptical views on the prospects for radical change.
Five more years: dull it won’t be
Lots of commentators – we too – have dismissed the next term in the Scottish Parliament as heralding at best managerial competence, at worst policy timorousness. But there’s plenty to look forward to: not least…
Next SG: revolutionary but hardly radical
The SNP has one revolutionary aim: the overthrow of the UK constitution. Yet its manifesto is a model of moderation. Why? Tempered by the compromises of government – or cautious process to win over the…
A new democratic settlement for Scotland
The SNP’s 2016 election manifesto commits to a new wave of decentralising power in Scotland. But is that likely from a party that is now or on the verge of becoming the predominant one in…
Holding our own feet to the fire
Loki stirred up a hornet’s nest among Yes supporters when he wrote on the STV website why he won’t vote SNP on May 5 but for RISE. Here he explains more about why he’s saying…
PFI: is the £56bn capital cost worth it?
The closure of 17 Edinburgh schools built under PFI contracts has become a big issue in the Holyrood elections. Here an expert goes behind the headlines to analyse the system of public/private co-financing as a…